What is it all coming to? The recession is forcing even major arts organizations to …..gulp……actually program what the audiences want to hear and see! Now what’s that I hear, the big 3 automakers need to build cars that people want to drive! I guess newspapers need to start writing what people want to read! In the immortal words of R.E.M:
It’s the end of the world as we know it…..
Let’s hope so, at least for the arts world!….
In this Sacramento Bee article They’re playing for time , this comment jumped out at me:
Each downturn has forced orchestras to do more outreach and evaluate their relationship with patrons. The Sacramento Philharmonic is pursuing young audiences with a recently added Sunday afternoon family concert series, with tickets that cost less than Saturday evening main-stage concerts.
Right before this comment Jesse Rosen of the League says this:
Rosen predicts that orchestras will weather the economic storm better than other arts organizations – and likely come through stronger.
“During the economic downturn in 2002, audience attendance dropped off by 10 percent,” he says. “But attendance bounced back. And when it bounced back, it did to higher levels than where it started.”
OK, so let me get this straight:
- During a downturn, the attendance drops
- This forces orchestras to do more outreach, popular programs, evaluate their relationships with patrons, and add concerts at popular times for families
- They do these things and come out of it stronger than when they went in according to data.
So, when the recession is over I guess it’s back to becoming the same niche ensemble before it began? Arguing over which versions of the Bruckner Symphonies are preferred? NO! This is now an opportunity to customize to a community’s needs and desires, to become a community service organization that is relevant to people, and to strive to be the last thing people give up, not the first, by proving that we bring tremendous value and vitality to their lives and to the life of their community.
This is not pandering…. not that there’s anything wrong with that!…..it is actually building trust, to prove ironically that their orchestra will be there for them not just in the bad times, but in the good times too!
Trust is the key. Speaking to newer music, when a community and/or audience trusts an orchestra, that is when they might give something new or contemporary a chance. People have told me that they were not sure about attending a program that was not that familiar to them, but came anyway because they had liked all of the others and trusted our judgment, or at least would give us the benefit of the doubt going in i.e listen with an open mind.
This is an opportunity to recalibrate, reorganize, refocus and re purpose, so that when audiences build to a stronger level than before the downturn, they then become a foundation for further growth, and potentially a shield against any future downturn.
There might be some Orchestras that dig their heels in. However if they dig their heels in the quicksand we are all in now, it will only make them sink faster!
Hear, Hear!